Historic sites
Ayutthaya Historical Park
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
The ruins of the old Siamese capital, sacked by the Burmese in 1767, with prang towers, temples and Buddha statues, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Travel tips in Thailand
Historic sites
Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
A golden temple on a mountain above Chiang Mai, reached by a naga-lined staircase of 306 steps (or a funicular), with views over the city.
Historic sites
Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok
Bangkok
The former royal residence, a dazzling complex of gilded spires and halls built from 1782, with Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Thai…
Natural features
Khao Sok National Park
Phanom, Surat Thani
One of the oldest rainforests in the world, with limestone peaks rising from Cheow Lan Lake, where you can stay in floating bamboo bungalows.
Natural features
Phi Phi Islands and Maya Bay
Krabi
Limestone islands with turquoise water in the Andaman Sea.
Natural features
Railay Beach, Krabi
Ban Ao Nang, Krabi
A peninsula cut off by limestone cliffs, reached only by longtail boat from Ao Nang or Krabi town, with beautiful beaches, Phra Nang Cave Beach with …
Historic sites
Sukhothai Historical Park
Sukhothai
The ruins of Sukhothai, the first capital of Siam in the 13th century, with graceful Buddha statues, lotus-bud chedis and temples reflected in ponds,…
Tours and activities
Chao Phraya River and Thonburi canals, Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok was once the 'Venice of the East', and its river and canals are still the best way to see the old city.
Shopping
Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok
Bangkok
One of the largest markets in the world, with around 15,000 stalls selling clothes, crafts, antiques, plants, pets and street food, open Saturday and…
Shopping
Cicada Market, Hua Hin
Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan
A lively weekend evening market for art, crafts and food, held in a landscaped garden south of Hua Hin's centre.
Natural features
Erawan Falls, Kanchanaburi
Sai Yok, Kanchanaburi
A seven-tiered waterfall with turquoise pools in a forest national park, where you can swim with small fish nibbling your feet.
Tours and activities
Ethical elephant sanctuary, Chiang Mai
Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai
Elephant Nature Park, founded in the 1990s, is a sanctuary for rescued elephants in a valley north of Chiang Mai, where you watch and feed them witho…
Natural features
Khao Takiab, Hua Hin
Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan
A small headland and bay about 7 km south of central Hua Hin, quieter and prettier than the main town beach, with palm trees, thatched beach bars and…
Natural features
Ko Lipe and the Tarutao islands
Koh Lipe, Satun
A small island in the far south of the Andaman Sea, near Malaysia, with white beaches, clear water and coral reefs, in the Tarutao National Marine Pa…
Tours and activities
Ko Tao diving
Koh Tao, Surat Thani
A small island in the Gulf of Thailand famous as one of the cheapest places in the world to learn to dive, with dozens of dive schools and calm, clea…
Natural features
Koh Yao Noi
Ko Yao, Phangnga
A quiet, rural island in Phang Nga Bay, between Phuket and Krabi, with rice fields, rubber plantations, Muslim fishing villages and views of the lime…
Historic sites
Mrigadayavan Palace, Cha-am
Cha-am, Phetchaburi
A summer palace built in 1923 for King Rama VI on the beach between Hua Hin and Cha-am.
Tours and activities
Songkran at Tha Phae Gate, Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is the best place in Thailand to celebrate Songkran, the Thai New Year, from 13 to 15 April (celebrations often run for several days eithe…
Historic sites
Wat Arun, Bangkok
Bangkok
The Temple of Dawn, on the west bank of the Chao Phraya, with a tall central prang decorated with colourful porcelain pieces.
Attractions
Wat Thawet, Sukhothai
Sukhothai
A very different temple from the classic ruins of Sukhothai: a garden of hundreds of handmade concrete statues telling the story of the Ramayana, sce…
Buildings
White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai
A dazzling white temple covered with mirrored glass, designed by the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, with a bridge over a sea of reaching hands repres…
Food and drink
Yaowarat Road (Chinatown), Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok's Chinatown comes alive at night, when Yaowarat Road's neon signs light up and street-food stalls fill the pavements.
Buildings
Hua Hin Railway Station
Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan
One of the prettiest railway stations in Thailand: a red-and-cream wooden pavilion built in the 1920s for the royal family, who made Hua Hin their se…
Natural features
Jomtien Beach
Pattaya, Chon Buri
A 6 km beach just south of Pattaya, quieter and more family-friendly than Pattaya Beach itself.
Attractions
Pattaya Park water park and tower
Pattaya, Chon Buri
A family water park on the beachfront between Pattaya and Jomtien, with water slides, a wave pool, a lazy river and children's pools.